Blaming an especially aggressive strain of ringworm, the Ontario SPCA said it had no choice but to destroy some 350 animals at the Newmarket facility. The society has already spent five weeks applying topical creams and medication, and nothing has worked, Jim Sykes, chief operating officer of the OSPCA, said in justifying the euthanization. While high school students protested outside and tearful shelter volunteers asked to take some of the animals home, officials said even seemingly healthy pets with no symptoms could spread the infection in the community. The society said the outbreak was caused by human error; protocols for identifying ringworm in animals were not followed.  The branch will undergo a thorough cleansing and an inspection to ensure the ringworm is eradicated before it reopens for adoptions. For complete story click HERE.

The San Francisco-based organization, Matter of Trust, focuses on repurposing of surplus materials for eco-friendly projects. Their latest creation is mats made of fur and hair to help clean up oil spills.  Hair and fur are piled into nylon stockings to create tubes called booms. These large sausage-like fur booms don’t absorb oil but they attract it and are used to contain spills.  Dog hair from all over the world is being donated to make these booms for the oil spill in the Gulf!  For complete story click HERE.

With human populations increasing worldwide and consumers demanding rare and exotic meals, endangered animals are being hunted for food at an increasingly alarming rate. Due to such a diverse international culture and rich tastes, the United States is one of the largest consumers of wildlife, with mass amounts of it illegally smuggled into the country every year. Take a look at 7 animals that are threatened with extinction if humans don’t stop eating them–you might be surprised at what you find! For complete story click HERE.

As of April 1, 2010 Lufthansa Cargo will no longer transport dogs or cats which are intended for use in animal experiments. Axel Heitmann, director of the Competence Centre Animals at Lufthansa Cargo, says: “Lufthansa Cargo is regarded by its customers worldwide as a highly professional transporter of live animals. The decision to not transport dogs and cats for animal experiments provides a further signal that for us the focus is on the welfare of the animals.”  For complete story click HERE.

Because of the prevalence of methamphetamine abuse worldwide, it is not uncommon for law enforcement to encounter subjects that are methamphetamine-intoxicated. Taser International conducted a study to determine the cardiac effects of an electronic control device (ECD) in a methamphetamine intoxication model. The animals that were part of this “study” were drugged and then shocked with 50,000 volts as a means of proving weapons safety.  According to Taser International, if sheep are given methamphetamine and subjected to a series of shocks and none of them suffer cardiac arrest, that weapon must be alright to use on real meth addicts. For complete story click HERE.

A stray dog is recovering after getting run over by a freight train – twice. Fred Krause, who was operating the train, says there was no way to stop before it ran over the dog.  He spotted the same dog on the return trip and this time the pup got whacked by the train’s snowplow. Krause drove back to the site later and found the dog, which was still dazed and lying on the tracks.  Krause and his family are nursing the dog back to health and are calling him “The Little Guy.” For complete story click HERE.

Missouri and Tennessee want to make it legal to slaughter horses for human consumption. On Wednesday, a Tennessee house subcommittee passed a bill to allow for horse slaughterhouses and processing plants. Willie Nelson, the legendary country singer, is a vocal opponent to horse slaughter and called the bill a “step backwards.” For complete story click HERE.

Colorado Governor Bill Ritter signed a measure that will provide animals and pets protection from perpetrators of domestic violence. The measure allows judges to order suspected domestic abusers in Colorado to stay away from family pets and livestock. For complete story click HERE.

Safari World, a theme park in Thailand, has been slammed by animal lovers for its latest tourist attraction- orangutan kick boxing matches. Safari Worldhas been drawing huge crowds that cheer orangutans forced to wear boxing gloves and trained to trade punches and spin kicks. As the heavyweights of the jungle duke it out, female orangutans parade around in bikinis displaying the round number. Debbie Leahy, director of captive animals for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, said: “When you see these animals performing what are completely unnatural tricks…they’re not doing it because they want to, they’re doing it because they’re afraid not to.”  For complete story click HERE.

Because state law generally prohibits you from having such animals as monkeys, large exotic cats and pythons, when owners of these illegal and exotic animals no longer want their “pet” they often get abandoned in the wild. It has become a major challenge for the Wildlife and Fisheries department.   In an effort to curb the abandonment of unwanted illegal animals, the Wildlife and Fisheries department of Louisiana is urging Legislature to pass a law that would allow people in possession of illegal animals to turn them over to the state without facing penalties. For complete story click HERE.